The advent of digital media and analog/digital conversion technologies have vastly increased the concerns of individuals and organizations who depend on revenue generated from works protected under copyright law. Today, it is relatively easy for consumers to convert digital media (which may or may not be copyrighted) according to various digital formats which allow for the unauthorized distribution of copies of the digital media over the Internet or amongst various computerized devices.
In an effort to impede such unauthorized distribution of copies of digital media, media publishers and/or media distributors have created various approaches to digital rights management (DRM). DRM technologies attempt to control an end user's access to digital media, as well as prevent the end user from converting the digital media into different digital formats for unauthorized uses.
Stated differently, DRM is a generic term for access control technologies implemented by digital media publishers, copyright holders and individuals in order to impose limitations on the usage of digital content and devices. The term “DRM” is used to describe any technology that inhibits access, various types of uses and distribution of digital content not desired or intended by the media publisher and/or media distributor.
As those end users who wish to distribute unauthorized copies of digital media utilize increasingly advanced format conversion and media distribution software, media publishers and/or media distributors are continually improving and changing their DRM technologies. As the field of the DRM technology has matured, some media publishers and/or media distributors have implemented different DRM technologies over time—thereby making it possible that their newer digital media is protected according to a new DRM technology, whereas their older digital media is still protected according to an older DRM technology.